Give and Take: Vegetable salads kids will love

For nearly a century, the extension office has been providing information on everything from which trees to plant, which mushrooms to eat, how to kill bugs, how to improve your water quality and how to raise sheep, horses and pigs.

The extension nutrition program is also a wonderful source of information about gardening, healthy eating and proper food preparation.

Extension agent Jona McNamee was kind enough to share summer recipes and tips for eating the recommended five fruits and vegetables — an easier task during the summertime with gardens, the farmers market and fresh produce in stores.

She suggests trying a new fruit or vegetable every week or even have a family tasting party with four or five unusual items like kohlrabi, kale or rainbow carrots.

If children help pick out the veggies, or better yet work along your side in the garden, they are more likely to eat them.

The county extension office also has tips on canning and freezing if you have extra produce to prepare to enjoy in the fall and winter.

This week’s Give and Take column includes several recipes from the extension office summer newsletter. All these salads use lots of veggies and thankfully don’t require much cooking.

You can send recipe requests or your own summer favorites to Give and Take, 205 River Drive S., 59405 or email giveandtake@greatfallstribune.com.

BLACK BEAN AND RICE SALAD

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup red or green bell pepper

1 cup cooked and cooled brown or white rice

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, cut into chunks

¼ cup rice or white vinegar, or lemon juice

½ tsp. dry mustard powder

1 garlic clove, chopped

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Stir together onion, pepper, rice, beans and avocado. In a jar, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and oil and shake until dressing is well mixed. Pour dressing over salad and stir. Chill for at least one hour.